Through the Embers
Before they could reach the store, lightning broke through the seams of the night and a heavy downpour ensued. Ayane, however, enjoyed the rain so she had no difficulties getting through. Moreover, she had a jacket on to stop the chill and conceal her face. Christie trudged unhappily alongside, once getting splashed by a passing car, until they reached the store. They hadn't yet completely gotten to the store when two burly men emerged from inside. Ayane and Christie leapt aside into a nearby alleyway, narrowly escaping their vision. Ayane grabbed her ninja shuko and ascended up the wall. She positioned herself directly above them and listened to their conversation.
"Damn. It looks like those two hot chicks ain't comin. I was lookin' for a good time."
The other one chuckled, "Don't count on it. Yo' momma wouldn't even spare a kiss for you."
Idiots.
The other man wheeled around in anger. "I haven't seen you with a woman in ages. Do you even know what a woman is!"
The two men argued over the senseless topic for what seemed like hours. Ayane finally grew tired of the quarrel and threw her voice into the alley that Christie was in. She would handle them. The two men immediately tensed up, whispering and gesturing, and ran for the alleyway. All that followed were a few pathetic grunts and the sound of bodies collapsing. Ayane leapt down from her position and found Christie acquiring their weapons. The CLOSED sign was deliberately colored in neon orange to keep people out. And at least three bolts lined the doorway, which was going to make getting in nearly impossible ….nearly. Ayane grabbed a hairpin from her sash and began to twist the locks. One came loose….then the next…and the final lock switched open. They stepped through the door and headed for a door in the back. This door was unlocked luckily and they easily stepped through. Ayane assumed the next room was going to be a conference place of some sort. But Ayane leapt on top of one of the heaters and looked upon the forefront. It was instead a path that Ayane noticed lead into a labyrinth of twisting paths and doors. It was a twisting and puzzling maze that boggled Ayane's mind. Although she was highly intelligent, Ayane couldn't immediately see the correct path. She could tell that many of these doors lead to an uncertain location. Possibly even traps for adversaries. Looking further, she could see a door laid ajar. That was their target. She leapt down.
"Christie, as much as I don't like this, we have to work together."
"Whatever, just stay out of my way." Christie apparently was anxious and pushed through Ayane. Ayane could see a sliver of light next to Christie's foot. It was a string…….a trap!
"Christie..no!"
Ayane yanked at Chrstie's arm but the tip of her foot graced the slender string. A snap ensued and spikes collapsed from the ceiling above. The lethal points drew close to Christie's skull, nearly impaling her. Christie sat heaving on the cold ground, considering what had just happened. She looked up at Ayane. "I appreciate it."
Ayane simply nodded.
What the hell ever happened to a simple thank you?
They proceeded with caution, looking for traps and pitfalls along the way. Ayane soon felt that electric buzz along her neck again. It traveled down her spine and rested comfortably on her lower back. Something electric was lingering in the area, and she had to find what it was. Christie drew a blue liquid and sprayed it throughout the area. Soon, thin, red lights emerged from the walls of the confinement. They enveloped and encompassed the area. However, Ayane noticed a small sliver of chance.
"Christie, I'm going to need you to crouch."
"What's the occasion?"
"I'm going to try and get through that small opening where the rays aren't as tightly knit." Christie nodded. "I'm going to run on your back and you have to leave your hands cupped. As soon as I'm above your head you're going to vault me through that small opening.," she indicated The aiming is all me."
Christie contemplated for a moment. "You better not run on my hair bitch. It took me a while to get it like this." Christie grinned sardonically. Ayane returned the favor with a smile and moved backwards. Ayane dug her heels into the floor and sprinted forward. It seemed everything moved in perfect, slow motion. Ayane grabbed onto Christie's back, regaining her footing as she went along. She could hear Christie wince as her heels clung into her flesh. Directly above Chrstie's head, Ayane leapt forward and Chrstie gave her momentum with one strong push. With gentle grace, she lunged through the rays. She tucked herself into a ball and rolled to her feet.
Ayane called out, "See?" Christie nodded in agreement.
In front of her a switch lay, she pushed it down. The lights dimmed and eventually completely faded.
Christie and Ayane kept walking until they reached a large, metallic door. Ayane drew yet another lock pick and pried the door open. Apparently, the door wasn't oiled for a while since it creaked wildly.
Christie stepped into the room. A single, dangling light lay in the middle, wavering from left to right. Shadows danced and played against the beige walls and two figures faded in and out of visibility. Christie and Ayane both drew their weapons, expecting a full frontal attack. However, neither figures moved. The air was thick with tension and the door slammed shut behind them. Ayane leapt at the sudden breaking of silence. The two figures slowly dropped to the floor and Ayane realized what was happening.
Christie had not yet realized that the two dummies that just fell were a distraction.
"Christie ru….." before Ayane could move steel hit the nape of her neck and darkness slowly drowned her world.
Ayane woke up with pain buzzing around her neck. Her spine tingled with agony and her head hummed like bad air conditioning. Her eyes had not yet opened but she noticed several things. For one, the room was quiet. Second….she couldn't feel her hands, or her feet for that matter. Third…she could smell smoke. She struggled to move her limbs but felt something rubbing against her ankles and wrists. They had tied her up. She didn't like this. The flames were billowing and advancing like the steeds that drove Death to its victims.
All this for the death of one woman. Who would've thought...I should really get a long vacation after this...If there is an after.
She slowly began to struggle with growing intensity since she was suddenly constricted. She panicked, her mind racing at the speed of light. Blood pulsed in her temples and she feared for her life. What were they going to do to her? What COULD she do to them?
Come on girl…you can do this.
Breathing slowly, Ayane caught herself and remembered her training. This was always the part she despised. She sighed slowly and began to adjust the bones in her wrist. She winced with pain and dislocated the points in which forearm met wrist. In this silence, the soft crackling of her wrist sounded like a pin drop on steel. Ayane freed one hand of its binding and pushed it back into place. Relieved by her sudden freedom, she pried the other hand loose of its vice grip. The flames were beginning to lick the floor ahead of her. She had to move much more quickly. She looked over. Christie apparently had the same idea since she was freeing her hands too. Ayane reached into her sash for a blade.
They took all my damn weapons!
Ayane reached down and manually freed her feet. Her boots clicked on the hard surface as she quickly stood up. Fire was roaring through the room and it was encircling around the area.
Ayane looked around for a way out. The room was very large; massive and monstrous in its size. The walls were gray and stale but the light of the fire fondled with her vision. However, Ayane was dauntless and she strained her senses. The smell of smoke engulfed her and she quickly found a way out. She could hear Christie's shoes clicking and they both leapt through an open door.
They both slammed the door behind them, but the fire was soon going to lick the metal and drown the two women in their embers. Behind them the fire roared, and both women sighed in relief. This room was as wide as the last, if not wider. The room was dark, yet small lights flickered on and off occasionally.
Ayane had no time to react before a huge fist lunged at her face. The pain ebbed through her face and she could taste blood. Her instincts told her to immediately kick forward and her foot connected with hard muscle. She was fighting a man…..hopefully…..Although she couldn't see, she could hear the sound of feet scuffling against the floor to get to her... She rolled to the side and stood still. The lights flicked on again and in those split seconds she could see Christie and her assailant. Christie was striking like a serpent at a slender woman. But because this woman was so fast, Christie was striking at nothing but air. She was doing her best but she was no match for this woman's brute strength. The best Christie could do was to evade her attacks. Ayane, unfortunately, was fighting a man. He towered over her and easily could've snapped her spine in half. Ayane struck at what she thought was his neck and felt her nails dig into skin. She repeatedly lunged for his neck until her arms became weak.
Throughout the whole ordeal, Ayane could hear him wincing but never did she hear a sound of extreme pain, which was what her nails brought most people. Without warning, she could feel her left arm crumple under a powerful fist. She moaned in pain and fell clumsily to the floor. She struggled to stand but it felt like knives tearing through her arm. Her fingers scrambled recklessly at the cold cement, searching for something to aid her .Heaving and puffing ensued from the dark space above her and Ayane knew the end was near. Enclosed by fear, adrenaline raced through her veins and she jumped back up. Completely enveloped by anger she became a wild cat, striking at anything remotely feeling like flesh. Kicking high up into the air, the sole of her foot connected with hard bone. She had hit his chin. She thrust her fingers into the darkness ahead of her and caught his eye.
She hated that she had to become like this, but it was the only way she could possibly survive. She could hear the man finally give a holler and another fist struck her. Although it was powerful, the pain didn't ring as truly as the last. In fact, it angered her even more. Ayane could feel her body fly forth as if in a dance, she spun and flipped around her assailant as if he wasn't even there. Kicking and punching after each graceful dip and dive, her opponent finally fell to the floor in a slump.
Suddenly, the lights flickered on and Ayane could see Christie slumped on the floor and the woman coming directly in Ayane's direction.. The woman began with a kick and Ayane grabbed her foot. Twisting sharply, she ground her teeth and flipped the woman over her shoulder. The woman landed with a hard thud and attempted to get back up. However, before she could stand to her feet, Ayane connected hard with a kick to her chin. The woman fell back like a rock and was out cold. Inside of the jacket that she was wearing, she could see a small sliver of light. She dug inside.
There's my weapons, that's what the broad gets.
Several moments passed until Ayane had realized her fists were balled and she was seething. Christie, now awake, sat staring.
"I thought I was bad." Ayane looked back in frustration and ground her teeth even more. She could hear the cackling of the fire behind her and oddly, all she could do was laugh. She just got dissed by the tightest woman on Earth. Not only was it that, a wildfire was roaring behind her, which was making her giggle even more.
What the...am I high? She giggled once again.
Ayane just walked over and lent her a hand. Christie got up, brushing herself off.
"Come on let's get going, Chris isn't going to wait for us."
"Whatever just let me catch my breath."
"You won't have any breath to catch if we stand here for too long."
"Just…hold on."
After catching her breath, both Ayane and Christie ran down a path through pure darkness.
Out of nowhere, Christie assumed conversation." By the way, what was so funny?"
Ayane giggled a little, "Nothing, nothing at all."